craig



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

w. s. CRAIG. MACHINE FOR PAINTING CANS.

Pa ented pr. '6 1897.

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(No Model.) 7 2 Sheeta--Sheet 2. W. S. CRAIG. MAGHINE FOR PAINTING CANS.

No. 579,961. Patented Apr. 6, 1897.

q s x v I v Q Q J W m-zizzfiiziz'g I I 2y 4M WW4, W JZ-Ja UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM S. CRAIG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK G. LIBKEAND DIETRICH H. BRUNJES, OF SAME PLACE.

' MACHINE FOR PAINTING CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,961, dated April 6,1897. Application filed May 7, 1895. $erial No. 548,410. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. CRAIG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for PaintingCans, which is fully set forth in the following specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a sideelevation of one side of my machine. Fig. 2 is a plan View of thecentral portion of the said machine with the paintcans removed. Fig. 3is a side elevation of the opposite side of my machine from that shownin Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical crosssection on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of one of the cans in a position to bepainted. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of the devices for supplying thebrushes with paint. Fig. '7 is a plan of the construction shown in Fig.6. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the driving-pulley for communicating powerto the machine. Fig. 9 is a vertical section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

The object of my invention is to paint that portion of the cans wherethe solder is applied for soldering the heads of the cans to the body ofthe cans automatically by machinery and do it very rapidly as the canspass through the machine.

My invention consists of the devices and combination of deviceshereinafter fully described and made the subject-matter of the claimshereof.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the body of the machine,which is supported on suitable legs B.

The body of the machine is composed of two side pieces 0 and D, whichare held in position relative to each other by cross-rods E. Thesecross-rods are firmly attached by any suitable means to one of the sidepieces, while the other side piece is adjustable on these cross-rods bymeans of nuts, so that the side pieces can be set at such distancesapart as to accommodate the machine to any length of can that it isdesired to paint.

F are what I term tracks, secured to the inner sides of the side piecesof the body of the machine. The ends of the cans rest on these tracksand roll on them down the incline of the tracks.

The cans H are placed upon the tracks F at the upper end of the machine.The foremost of these cans H strikes against a cross-rod I, whichextends across the frame of the machine in front of the upper portion ofthe can. The ends of the said rod I move in slots I, formed in thepivoted arms J. There are also pivoted to the said arms J, near theupper end thereof, two short arms L, the outer ends of which are joinedtogether by a second crossrod N, parallel to the first cross-rod I.

Upon one side of the machine there is pivoted the lower end of a rod M,the upper end of which is pivotally connected with the outer end of oneof the short arms L. One of the arms J extends downward some distancebelow its point of pivoting to the framework of the machine, and to thelower end of this arm is pivoted one end of a connecting-rod O, theother end of which is pivotally connected at the lower extremity of themachine to a crankarm 0, mounted on a rock-shaft P. Upon the saidrock-shaft P is mounted a trip Q, which extends upward in the path ofthe cans. The shaft P, the trip Q, and the crank-arm O are restored to anormal position by the spring R. The operation of these elements of theapparatus it is not difficult to see.

When a can 011 the point of leaving the machine passes over and operatesthe trip Q, depressing the same, the locking and unlocking mechanism,hereinabove described and located near the upper end uf the apparatus,is thrown into the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3. Thefirst of the cans H passes under the cross-rod I and is free to proceeddown the incline of the machine. The next succeeding can is preventedfrom following by the cross rod N striking against the top thereof. Whenthe locking mechanism, through the operation of the-spring R, is againbrought back into normal position, the said succeeding can butts againstthe cross-rod I.

"The said can and all the remaining cans behind it are thus retaineduntil the unlocking mechanism is again operated. This locking andunlocking is therefore effected automatically by the movement of thecans themselves as they roll down the tracks of the machine. As each canin succession leaves the said locking and unlocking mechanism it strikesagainst and depresses the trip S, which is mounted on a shaft T,journaled in the f ramework of the machine, the said shaft T beingprovided at each end outside of the said frame work with a crank-annTthe free end of which is formed with a projecting finger T The saidshaft T is further provided at one side of the machine with a thirdcrank arm T. A spring 8 is located and attached in any convenient way torestore the rock shaft T and the trip S to a normal posit-ion afterpassage of the can. The fingers T are adapted to depress, when therock-shaft P is in its normal position, the ends of two rods U, whichare pivoted to move in a vertical plane by bein g connected to the sidesof the frame by the swivel eyebolts p. The other ends of the rods U areturned upward, as at U, to bear against and support the pivoted plates0, as will later be described. To the free end of the third crank-arm T,carried by the rockshaft T, is pivoted one end of the conn ecting rod q,the other end of which is pivoted to the lower end of a pivoted stop 0,the upper end of the said stop bearing against one en d of the cross-rodb, as will presently be described.

At a point below the stop S the tracks F are interrupted, asparticularly shown in Fig. 5. In the sides of the framework there ishere journaled a shaft cl, carrying two rollers 6, provided with milledperipheral surfaces. On one end of the shaft (1, outside of theframework of the machine, is mounteda drivingpulley f. The said drivingpulley is loose upon the said shaft (Z and is connected therewith by thecoiled spring 23, as is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Below the milled rollerscare placed two stop-rolls V, carried by the free ends of two arms a,the other ends of which arms are pivoted to the tracks. The said twoarms a are connected with each other by a rod b,extending across theapparatus and adapted to move upward and downward in the slots 1),formed in the sides of the framework. The arms a and the rolls V,carried thereby, are normally supported in a raised position by thesprings 7'.

Upon each side of the framework of the machine opposite the devices lastabove described is mounted a vertically-adjustable support 0, to theupper edge of which is pivoted a plate 0, upon the top of which platethere is secured a brush it. The said plate 0 and the brush which issecured to it are held in an approximately horizontal position by theturned-up end U of the swiveled rod U, above described. Upon each sideof the framework of the machine is mounted a secondvertically-adjustable support j, secured in its vertical adjustment bythe thumb screw 7;. Each of the supports j carries a paint-pot 1',provided with a drip-cock Z. To the bottom of each paint-pot, underneaththe drip-cock Z, is secured a small trough m, which is either perforatedor provided with an outlet, such as m. Above the troughs m there extendsacross the framework of the machine a horizontal slotted strip n,supported from the said framework by the adjustable pieces n. To thesaid horizontal-strip nare secured the brushes gin such a manner as tobe horizontally adjustable thereon.

In operation when a can passes down the tracks F onto the milled rollersc it is held in contact with the said rollers by the stoprolls V, whichare prevented from being depressed by the said can through the cross-rodb resting upon the pivoted stop 0. The milled rollers e are rapidlyrevolving at the time the can comes in contact with them. To allow timefor the rollers to impart their motion to the can and to preventabrasion of the. can by the said rollers, the driving-pulley f issocured on the shaft (Z through the intermediary coiled spring t,whereby the said driving-pulley partially rolls up the said spring, andthe shaft cl and the rolls 2 only gradually resume their normal velocityof rotation. lVhile each can is being so revolved, the paint flowingfrom the paint-can 2', through the trough m and outlet on, onto thebrush 9 is thus applied to the edges of the round surface of the can.Some of the/ mint passes over onto the edges of the flat ends 6f the canand is thelleipread alongWb'fhElTes h as arf'a'fihular stripjdiFilLv" Asa second can leaves-the locking device at the upper end of the machineit passes over and operates the trip S. As a result the ends of theswiveled rods U are no longer depressed by the fingers T of the crankarin T The plates 0 are no longer supported by the other and upturnedends U of the said rods U and swing down into the position shown indotted lines in Fig. at, whereby the brushes carried by the said platesare withdrawn from contact with the ends of the can. A second efiect ofthe operation of the trip S is to throw the pivoted stop 0 out fromunder the cross-rod b to allow the stop-rolls V to be depressed by theweight of the can which has just been painted and permit the said can topass down the tracks toward the lower end of the ma chine. The spring 3restores the rock-shaft T and the crank-arms mounted thereon to a normalposition when the can which has op erated the trip S has passed by thesame. The fingers T on the crank-arms T bear 011 the swiveled rods U andthrough them throw the brushes h up into normal position for paintingthe can which approaches them. The stop-rolls V, having already resumedtheir normal elevated position by virtue of the springs 'r, are retainedin that position again by the stop 0 being brought under the cross-rodZ2, when the crank-armT and the rod (1 resume their normal position.

From the foregoing description of the operation of my machine it will beapparent that the same is automatic in every respect, the cansthemselves passing down the tracks under the influence of gravity,serving to actuate the various feeding devices, the only power requiredbeing that which is applied to the driving-pulleyfi From the descriptionof the construction of my machine it is apparent that the same isadjustable to suit cans of any length or of any diameter throu ghout allits parts.

In another application filed simultaneously with this, Serial No.548,409, I have described a locking and releasing mechanismsubstantially identical with that shown and described herein at theupper end of the machine. In said application, Serial No. 548,409, Ihave further embodied generic claims upon the said mechanism. In thisapplication I claim it only in combination with other devices shownherein.

Having fully described the construction and operation of my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for painting cans, tracks on which the cans pass; alocking device for holding the cans and releasing them, one at a time,to pass forward on the track; a painting-brush holder held on the frameof the machine in position to hold the brushes in contact with thesurfaces of the can, to paint it; stopping and revolving devices in theframe of the machine to hold and revolve the cans in contact with thepainting-brushes; tripping devices attached to the frame of the machineby which the can is released from the holding device which holds it incontact with the brushes by a can approaching the painting-brushes; anda tripping device for feeding the cans on the track, one at a time,which is also operated by a can passing on the tracks of the machine,whereby the cans are automatically fed to and released from the paintingdevices.

2. In a machine for painting cans, the inclined tracks upon which thecans roll, revolvin g rollers placed in the path of the cans and adaptedto revolve the same, stop-rolls adapted to hold the cans in contact withsaid revolving rollers, and paint-brushes adapted to contact with andpaint the can while being revolved.

In a machine for painting cans, stoprolls for stopping the cans at afixed point in the machine; suitable devices for revolving the cansrapidly when in contact with the stop-rolls and the brushes, g and h,substantially as described, adapted to contact with and paint the edgesof the cans while being so revolved.

4. In a machine for painting cans, inclined tracks upon which the cansroll; the stop-rolls placed in the path of the cans to arrest the samein position to be painted; the milled wheels which contact with the canswhen held against the stop-rolls and which revolve the said cans; anddevices adapted to release the stop-rolls from their position in thepath of the cans to permit the said cans to pass out of contact with themilled wheels.

5. In a machine for painting cans, revolving milled rollers placed inthe path of the cans and adapted to revolve the same; stoprollsconstructed to hold the cans in contact with the said milled rollerswhile being revolved; and a tripping device operated by the cans passingalong the track of the machine, adapted to remove the supports of thesaid stop-rolls and so release the can; in combination with brushes soplaced as to contact with and paint the can while being revolved.

6. In a machine for painting cans, the stoprolls, V; the pivoted arms,a; the cross-rod, b the stop, 0; a tripping device operated by the cans,adapted to remove the said stop; in combination with devices adapted torevolve and to paint the cans while arrested by the said stop-rolls;substantially as described.

7. In a machine for painting cans, stoprolls adapted to arrest the cansin a position to be painted; the milled rollers, e the shaft, d; thedriving-pulley, f; and the spring, 15; in combination with devicesadapted to supply paint to the can; substantially as described.

8. In a machine for painting cans, brushes pivoted to the sides of themachine in a position to be tilted to come in contact withthe ends ofthe cans; and a tripping mechanism for releasing said brushes from suchcontact simultaneously with the release of the can from the holding andrevolving mechanism which held and revolved the cans while beingpainted.

WILLIAM S. CRAIG. Witnesses:

ALOYSIA HELMICH, A. A. MURRAY.

